Need for Noodles
by black-n-white-stockings
Summary: Howl's in bed sick and Sophie's left to take care of our needy wizard. A little fluff, a wee bit random, and an innocent motive! Reviews loved and cherished! Looks like there'll be a third chapter. I lied xD
1. Chapter the first

Disclaimer: This may come as a shock, but no, I in fact do not own Howl or any of the other characters here. Nor am I the great god Miyazaki. I know it's hard to accept, but please. Just move on.

A/N: Arrrgh. I had meant for this to be a one shot, but somehow it took over my brain and evolved into what it is. I have almost all of it written out and it'll be 2 chapters at most but it's four times longer than I had thought. The plot bunnies eat away at my brain. Annnd this was written over a month ago, but as you will soon learn….I.am.the.ultimate.lazy.procrastinator. But I did type it up, so yay for me.

Michael: Only because you're so obsessed with Howl

B-n-W: So sue me. Me and how many others?

M: I don't think this is very Sophie either…

B-n-W: hush.

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"Aww, Sophieeeeee," the beautiful black haired man whined as he pushed the ceramic bowl away from his face.

"No Howl, you need to eat it." Sophie scolded mildly with her airy accent. As a after thought, she added softly, "It'll help you get better. For your own good?"

She once again advanced the steaming dish of noodles towards the feverish wizard. In an act of defiance, Howl shook his head and pulled the elaborate covers of his bed up to his nose. With the lower half of his face now hidden, he gained the confidence to fight the silver haired girl's fiery will.

"Nuh-uh. It tastes so nasty." He sighed dramatically, coughing for effect. He aimed for her sympathy.

"Can't you make something tastier? Or sweeter?" Howl paused to throw a rather pathetic look at Sophie's visage. Bingo. Sophie slowly brought the bowl down and back onto the wooden tray she had used to carry the food up to his room.

"Fine, But only because you asked so sweetly…..spoiled brat." Shaking her head smiling, Sophie gently placed a kiss on his warm forehead and stood up.

"Will you at least get some sleep?" She felt like his mother sometimes.

"Mmhm…" Howl nodded sleepily from behind heavy eyelids.

As she pushed the heavy wooden door open, Sophie turned around to look at Howl's sleeping face.

"Tsh."

He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. To Sophie, the free-spirited scoundrel she knew and loved had fallen away like his usual health. Left behind was his fragile childlike demeanor, now sleeping heavily under the massive extents of covers and toys.

Sophie lingered another moment in the doorway that acted as a portal between Howl's room of innocent wonders and the land of reality. She silently watched his expression soften as sleep took a firm hold on him, his breathing growing steadier. Deeper.

"I shouldn't let him get to me like that," she told herself. Whispering about how she spoiled him so, and really it was his fault for demanding it necessary to frolic in the rain like that just to go and get himself sick, Sophie gently latched the door behind her and headed downstairs to check on Markl.

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A small, single word escaped Howl's lips as he slumbered. His forehead was laced with beads of sweat from the fever, yet he pulled at the sheets as if he were frozen to the bone. One of the many chimes above his head tinked softly as he spoke. The word was soft, and had anyone been there to hear it, they would've known the feelings that it held.

"……Sophie….."

-----

Markl stood on his tip toes and peered over the end of the bed where he stood. He watched with a blend of fascination and worry as Sophie once again blotted his master's forehead with a cool compress. The worry filled out the young boy's features as he spoke in hushed tones.

"He'll be alright, won't he?"

It wasn't that Markl had never seen Howl ill before, it was just that he was usually acting like his energetic self again within a few hours. Magic could be so handy sometimes.

Sophie smiled kindly and nodded, her eyes never leaving Howl's resting figure.

"Yes, of course he'll be fine. He's acting like a baby and it's just a fever really. See here?"

She motioned to the compress as she removed it and dropped it into a cool water basin. It plunked dully as it hit the bottom of the copper bowl.

"His fever's already broken. He'll be up and about and bothering us again in no time." Her eyes were laughing as she spoke. It was clear to Markl that Sophie was remembering some classic Howl moment.

The wizard in training crept over to Sophie's chair at Howl's bedside and looked up at her, convinced. If Sophie wasn't worried, then surely there was no reason for him to be worried either. Sophie's silver hair shimmered as she turned her head to smile at Markl in reassurance.

"Why don't you go downstairs and put the kettle on to boil? He'll need something to eat soon."

Markl nodded enthusiastically and went for the door. On his way out he turned to ask Sophie a question that was poking at his thoughts.

"Was it the spork incident?"

Sophie looked up confused.

"That you were thinking of a minute ago? The one with the slap and the spork and-"

"Yes and the rubber band." She laughed lightly, careful not to disturb the man in dreamland next to her.

"Howl put himself in a real pickle there didn't he?"

They shared a quiet laugh at the inside joke lost onto the rest of the world. Markl watched Sophie with his big, dark eyes.

"Thank you Sophie."

Again Sophie looked up at Markl slightly baffled. Looking into those dark, innocent orbs, she had to ask.

"For…what?"

"For being here." He smiled shyly and shut the door. Because she didn't know what she did was why he loved her so much. Sophie heard his footsteps as he ran past the notorious bathroom and down the stairs to do as she had asked.

Turning back to look at Howl, Sophie smiled prettily to herself. She spoke to the oblivious Howl as she replaced the damp cloth on his head.

"Really now. I don't do all that much."

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Please Review. I want to know what you honestly think!


	2. The Chapter next

Disclaimer: If I was the creator of greatness like HMC, Totoro and such do you really think I would be writing _this?_

A/N: Thanks so much to my reviewers. You're the reason I typed this part up so fast. Hope you enjoy! I was typing this up while listening to the Advent Children OST, so if I missed any errors while dancing around like an idiot to "Black Water" then I'm very, sincerely sorry.

Michael: Kadaj freak…

B-n-W: backhand Yes, and proud. huggles her new poster

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A small plush animal rolled over and fell off Howl's bed with a soft 'thud'. Something like a small moan slipped past Howl's lips as his eyes slowly opened. Batting his lashes as if to blink away the sleep, Howl groggily turned his head to find, in his opinion, one of the most beautiful sights one could behold.

Seated next to his bed, Sophie Hatter slept quietly. It looked as if she had become sleepy sitting up next to his side, but in her last moments of being awake had leaned forward and rested her arm and head on Howl's bedcovers. Her short, silvery hair sprawled across her face while the rest of her body had decided to remain in the chair.

Slowly propping himself up on his elbows, Howl noted that she held onto a cloth in her lap. The water from the small fabric had soaked into the apron Sophie was wearing. Howl just smiled.

"Been here a while?" He spoke softly over her as he watched her sleep. When he shifted his weight so that he could move to brush the thin wisps of hair out of her eyes, Howl realized there was something keeping his hand where it was. Following his arm down to his wrist, the roguish wizard found a hand grasped in his own. A smaller, more delicate hand. A hand which was attached to an arm of its own. That in turn was attached to a shoulder, which in turn was attached to a Sophie. With smiling eyes, Howl gently shook Sophie's hand.

She stirred and sat up blinking sleepily. Taking a moment to gain her bearings, Sophie realized Howl was awake and smiling his usual guess-what smile. Sleep completely forgotten, Sophie jumped up and hugged Howl happily.

"So how are you feeling?"

Howl smirked and casually remarked that he was as fine as fine should be. Sophie sat back kneeling next to him on the bed. She tucked her dress under her legs carefully as she spoke.

"You had Markl very worried you know."

"But you told him I was fine?"

"Of course I did."

"Of course you did!" Howl's eyes danced happily with some kind of victory Sophie didn't understand.

"…..What?" Sophie's look of confusion was too much and Howl couldn't help himself as he started to laugh. The sudden outburst of laughter caused more confusion, which naturally led to more laughing.

"What is so funny? Howl... Howl?" Pouting, the silvery haired girl scolded Howl with her face. She poked at him with her fingers.

"Why won't you tell me what is so amusing?" Ceasing with the laughter, Howl cracked open an eye to peek at an impatient Sophie. She stared back at him, in what seemed to be an attempt to bore holes in his pretty face with her intimidating glare.

Howl squirmed under her gaze. "I probably shouldn't say. You'll get mad at me." Sophie just shook her head, still holding onto her glare and sighed.

"After saying _that_ you're worse off not telling me." Sophie waited for a moment, watching the top of Howl's head as he looked intently at the design of his bed cover.

Sophie softened her tone a little. If being patient was going to get results, then that's how she'd deal with this overgrown child. "You know I'll find out sooner or later anyways. So, can't you just tell me now?"

Howl took both of Sophie's hands and looked up from under his bangs to meet her eyes.

"Only if you promise not to get mad at me."

"I make no such promises." Came the dry, truthful response.

The innocuously scheming wizard leaned forward and started to whisper into Sophie's ear.

----

The clatter from the kitchen below came and went as Sophie banged pots together, loudly venting her frustration at being duped, by cooking more noodles.

Howl winced every now and then, as Sophie's voice broke through both his door and barrier of stuffed animals. Markl just sat watching. The audible complaints about having worried poor Markl or Sophie not leaving his side all night were among the many the kitchen utensils, along with the rest of the traveling house, got to hear. Markl's personal favorite was the threat that 'this time, he was going to eat the whole bowl of noodles and if he dared to complain...' Another crash erupted.

Howl addressed Markl as if he were the son caught with his hand in the cookie jar and the little boy next to him was, in fact the responsible guardian.

"I really messed up this time, eh?"

Markl didn't know whether or not to laugh. He too had once or twice been at the receiving end of Sophie's fiery wrath.

"You really thought magically self-inducing a fever to get more of Sophie's attention was a good idea?"

Hindsight being 20/20, Howl shook his head in defeat. His legs dangling over the side of his plush bed, he sighed weakly. "Well…no." He paused, unsure of how to express himself. "Yeah, a little. But it worked didn't it?" Howl smiled feebly while Cal's cries for a break echoed in the hall. Which were promptly followed with cries of mercy.

"What could possibly be worth a 'maybe' if you knew she'd get mad. She was worried about you Howl." Markl was just as happy to get Sophie's love and care, but even a little kid like him knew not to invoke the anger of a woman.

"Stop acting older than you are." Howl scolded the young boy, guilted by his own childish performance. In one swift movement, Howl reached out and grabbed Markl. He purposely messed up the burgundy hair in his hands. "You wouldn't understand if I told you."

Markl though about this. Howl had said this to him many times before, and most times, Howl had been right. But Markl was curious. He wanted, no needed to know what had inspired the brilliant idea in Howl's head. The youth was bursting at the seams with his inquisitive energy.

"Why wouldn't I get it? Just tell me why after you had gotten sick and then gotten better, you made yourself sick again! Something to do with magic….or that's how Sophie had explained it to me anyways…" Markl's small voice trailed off. Right about then, it clicked in his head. He knew how he could find out. If Sophie knew, and she knew everything there was to know, then surely she could explain it to him. Howl saw these things fly across Markl's visage as he pondered.

"DON'T….ask her." Howl almost pleaded.

"Why not? Wait…how'd you know I was thinking…CAN YOU READ MINDS NOW MASTER HOWL?" He practically toppled over his chair in excitement.

Howl just laughed. "No. But I can read your face like a book." He extended a helping hand and pulled Markl up. The boy stood up and brushed out the twisted green fabric of his vest.

"If she doesn't know, then why not just tell her? Sophie always understands!" The idea seemed brilliant to Markl. He jumped up and down happily. "Then she won't be mad at you anymore Howl! Then she'll read me a story! Just tell her!" Markl's pure enthusiasm and faith in the silvery haired young woman made Howl blush.

"Yes, she'll understand too well."

Markl paused mid-jump and looked at Howl in confusion. "I don't get it." Howl laughed again.

"I told you that you wouldn't understand." Howl smiled kindly and spoke more to himself than to the ball of energy that was Markl. "I meant, I don't wanna tell. It's, well, embarrassing and Sophie would tease me."

Markl cut off the wizard. "Not like you don't deserve it." He smiled in triumph.

"Whaaaat?"

"N-nothing!" Markl let out a squeak as Howl glared at him in pseudo anger.

"I think you want to go downstairs and find me a snack, don't you?"

"But you're not sick anymo-"

"SNACK!"

"Yessir!"

"Or I'll turn you into dog! Then we'll have two!" Howl laughed at his own empty threat as the bedroom door opened and closed again. In the moment it hung undone in its frame, Sophie's voice rang clear. Only to be muffled again as the heavy wood clicked shut. Her words made Howl chuckle to himself.

"And I better not complain, eh? Sophie, what do I have coming to me now?"

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A/N: Whooops. That's all I have written right now. So, I figured, I'd post this up, see what people think of it. Then do my best to finish it in a timely fashion cough whenimnotdoingstagecreworprocrastinating Cough Yup. LOVE reviews. Thanks a bunch for reading!


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